Whole Foods Maple Grove opens this week, will sell booze

Construction is still underway at the highly anticipated new Whole Foods location at the corner of Hennepin and Washington Avenues, but those who live a little bit outside the center of the city can get excited about the latest finished outpost of the natural foods grocery store, which opens this Wednesday at the Shoppes at Arbor Lakes in Maple Grove.

The new 32,000 square-foot store features a handful of services not yet available at any other Minnesota locations.

Like several of the other Whole Foods locations, the Maple Grove store will have a full-service coffee and smoothie bar; a build-your-own salad bar and hot prepared foods takeaway area; housemade gelato; and grab-and-go pastries, sandwiches, pizza, and sushi, in addition to their regular organic and sustainably-sourced groceries.

Unique to this location (though still planned for the downtown store) is the addition of a joint Whole Foods liquor store which will sell "value-priced wines and craft beer" as well as spirits. If they have their druthers about them, they'll stock a whole lot of the newly-released, locally-made Prairie organic gin and cucumber vodka.

An opening ceremony for the store is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, and will include live entertainment, free samples, and other giveaways. Check out their Facebook page for more information.